Handling Different Fabric Types

What are different types of fabric?

Different types of clothes are made up of different types of fabric. Each type also comes with special kind of handling to avoid damaging the clothing and help prolong its life. The most common types are listed below.

Cotton

Cotton is used in almost every kind of clothing we have. This fabric is a favorite when it comes to casual attire like t-shirts because they feel comfortable.

Most of the time, this type of fabric have been pre-shrunk already and may be washed in hot, warm, or often in cold water. When dealing with a stained shirt made up of cotton, it is safe to use chlorine bleach products for white ones, or non-chlorine for colored ones.

Linen

Linen can either be washed or dry cleaned. Read the care label carefully and if it says that it can be washed, make sure to use the recommended settings for the fabric. Linen absorbs more water compared to other types of fabric so make sure you do not overload when washing with this type of fabric.

Polyester

Polyester is one of the fabrics that can be easily cared for. Generally, they can be machine washed using warm water. They also dry easily. Extra precaution is needed when ironing this type of fabric because too much heat will easily melt or damage it.

Acetate

Acetate is often used to create easy-to-drape clothing. It’s easy to combine with other types of fabric and it can be easily cleaned as well. However, Acetate is a sensitive type of fabric which can be easily damaged when twisted or exposed to too much heat. It should be hand wash ideally or washed using the most gentle cycle you have in your washer.

Silk

Silk may be hand wash, machine wash, or dry cleaned. This is a special type of fabric that needs to be handled correctly to prolong its durability and shine.

Read the care labels of the garment made up of this fabric to make sure that they are safe to go in a washer. If not, hand wash using mild soap is recommended. Silk are not to be tumbled dry too. To drain out excess water, roll the item in a dry towel and then hang to dry.

Spandex

This type of fabric is the stretch or elastic type we see mostly in sports shirts and apparel. They can be hand wash or machine wash but warm or hot water is not recommended. Machine drying Spandex is not recommended as well.

Wool

Wool is another type of fabric we commonly see in casual apparels. Some are dry cleaned but it can be also washable. It depends if it’s combined with other type of materials though mostly, it should be safe to wash in a machine. Warm water is best recommended for this type of fabric since cold water will cause shrinkage to wool.

If you are unsure what type of fabric you have, it’s best to seek the aid of a professional laundry service like Soak N Relax to make sure that your clothes are well taken cared of. Soak N Relax is equipped with state-of-the-art machines that can handle different types of fabrics and only uses high-quality detergents to give you clean and fresh clothes every time.